A Secret Past1
by Obsessor
Summary: Cadee Regan is 16 and in sixth year, her first year ever attending a school. once at Hogwarts, strange things start to happen. she begins to uncover the truth about her past and how it is all connected to the Boy-Who-Lived


Disclaimer: I obviously do not own Harry Potter or any of the other characters ('tis a shame) in this story, except for Cadee and her family.

Rated PG-13 just in case

A/N: Cadee is pronounced like Katie if anyone is unaware.

**Chapter 1**

It was a rather cold September morning and it was time for Cadee Regan's first day of school. Naturally, Cadee would be excited to be starting school because she'd never attended one in all her years of living. She was going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She didn't feel too content about being the new kid. Not only did she not know anyone, but she also knew nothing of the school, besides that there were four houses to be sorted in to: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. It was decided that she would be sorted along with the first years, which meant total humiliation. She was not looking forward to this at all…

All of these thoughts were brushed out of Cadee's mind as the car came to a jolting stop in front of Kings Cross Station. There was a few seconds of silence before Cadee's aunt said, "Well, Cadee, you should get going." Her aunt fumbled around in her coat pocket and finally pulled out a rather crumpled train ticket with the platform number **9 ¾ **printed on it. Cadee took the ticket, got out of the car and headed toward the back seat where all of her belongings were. She stacked it all onto a cart, exchanged 'goodbyes' with her aunt and was on her way.

After walking for what seemed like forever, she finally made it to platform **9**. She brushed a stray lock of her auburn hair behind her ear. She looked at platform **9**, then at platform **10 **and then at her ticket. She was very confused; where the hell was platform **9 ¾**? Just then, she saw a young girl turn and run at the brick barrier that stood between platforms **9** and **10**. She disappeared! After watching two others with loaded carts walk through the barrier, she figured that that must be how to get to the train. So sheturned and dashed straight at the brick pillar that stood between platforms **9 **and **10**. She felt a slight tug in her stomach as she entered on to the train, but the feeling in her stomach slowly faded as she started to walk down the narrow hallway of the train car and was replaced with nervousness. She looked right and left, searching for a compartment to settle down in, but all seemed to be occupied by very foreign faces. She finally found an empty compartment in the very back of the train car. She slid the door open and shoved her heavy trunk in with quite some force that the noise echoed lightly. Cadee ignored the few faces that stuck out of nearby compartments and slid in hurriedly. Quickly, but gently, she slid the door shut.

A few moments passed when Cadee heard voices that seemed to be approaching. The door slid open and she looked up to see three people standing there in the doorway: two boys and a girl. One boy had rather messy black hair with round glasses, whose lenses seemed to magnify his brilliant, emerald green eyes. He stood tall—maybe 5'8" to 5'10". He looked rather familiar. The other boy standing at his side had fiery red hair and amazing blue eyes. He stood an inch or two taller than his friend. Cadee turned her eyes over to the girl. She had bushy chestnut hair that fell a little below her shoulders in loose curls and gentle cinnamon eyes. She too was tall, but stood a few inches shorter than her two friends to her right.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know this was taken," said the boy with the crimson hair.

"Actually, it's just me in here. You're welcome to sit here if you'd like."

"Thanks," he muttered, sliding the door shut behind his female friend. "By the way, my name is Ron Weasley." He pointed his thumb to his two friends who had taken the seat opposite her and Ron. "And these two here are Hermione Granger and Harry Potter." _Ah, Harry Potter…I knew he seemed familiar. _

"Hello. My name is Cadee Regan." She turned and exchanged polite "nice to meet you's" with Hermione and Harry, all the while trying to keep her gaze from wandering to that infamous lightning bolt scar directly above his right brow.

"So, you must be new. I'm pretty sure I haven't seen you here before." Harry found himself looking her over, in a curious sort of way that is. There was just something about her that made him feel uneasy, something he couldn't quite identify.

"Obviously she is, Harry." Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to Cadee, "So, where are you from?"

"Well, I'm from America. This is my first time attending a school of any kind."

"Really?" asked Hermione, a bit wide-eyed and looking at Cadee as if she was some poor, deprived child. Ron and Harry looked at each other and rolled their eyes, small smiles forming on their lips.

"Yeah. I was actually going to attend this private non-wizarding school a couple years back, but my uncle decided against it."

"You mean it's a school for muggles?" asked Ron.

Cadee cocked her head to the side and asked, "A school for what?" She had never heard the word 'muggle' before.

"Muggles are what they call people who don't practice magic," Harry explained.

Cadee nodded to show that she understood. She had a feeling this was going to be quite an interesting experience.

"So you must be muggle-born then." It seemed like more of a statement rather than a question.

Cadee wore an unsure look and quietly replied, "Actually, I don't know. See, I've been living with my Aunt Virginia and Uncle Beau for about fifteen years now. I don't know anything about my real parents. My aunt and uncle don't like to speak of them much."

Silence descended upon the compartment. The only sounds that could be heard were the rattling of the train on the tracks, the occasional sniff from Ron and the soft, sporadic _ahem_ from Hermione. Cadee turned her head to look out the window. It was a rather grey day, which seemed to match her current mood well. She was beginning to feel upset; she didn't like to speak of her parents. She had always felt that they had betrayed her by leaving her with her aunt and uncle. Don't get her wrong, she_ did_ love them, but they weren't her real parents; it just wasn't the same. It had always bothered her that she never knew what happened to them and was annoyed that her aunt and uncle would never tell her.

"Er…so what house are you in?" Hermione could see that a change of subject was in order.

Cadee brought her attention away from the ominous hovering clouds and said, "I don't know. My aunt thought it best to have me sorted with the first years. To be quite frank, I find it rather unnecessary and pointless to be sorted with the first years. Even so, I am quite nervous to tell you the truth. This is going to be embarrassing." After saying this, she placed her head in her hands, kneading her temples gently and absent-mindedly.

"Don't worry. It won't be so bad." Ron placed a hand on her shoulder to assure her it would be alright.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" called a drawling voice from the doorway.

They all turned their attention to a boy with silver-blonde hair leaning in the doorway. He had his arms crossed over his chest and had a cocky look on his face. Harry, Ron and Hermione all glared at him.

"Malfoy," growled Ron.

He ignored Ron, who obviously was about to pounce on him. "Hogwarts has a new student, I see." Malfoy jutted his chin in Cadee's direction. She looked up and met his steel grey eyes. They reminded her of the stormy clouds she had just looked at a few moments before. He stared at her until Harry snapped, "Get out of here, Malfoy." The boy smirked and was gone. He slithered his way down the hallway, his black robes billowing behind him.

"Who was that?" Cadee asked.

"That," Ron began, "is the foulest creature to ever attend Hogwarts." The other two nodded in agreement and Cadee laughed. Then Harry said, "His name is Draco Malfoy, a member of one of the most powerful pureblood families in all of Europe. He is what makes Slytherin the most hated house at Hogwarts." Cadee peaked out of the compartment after Draco Malfoy. She hoped and prayed she would not be sorted into the Slytherin house. They hadn't even spoken two words to each other and she already felt a burning hatred toward this Slytherin.

When the train came to a screeching halt, she took up her trunk and dragged it out of the compartment. She followed the others once they pulled theirs out with no problem. She walked down the hallway, following close behind Hermione. They finally exited the train and set down their trunks. Cadee looked around at the huge crowd of students. They were buzzing with excitement about the new year. Cadee watched as students found their friends and talked animatedly. She was missing her own friends terribly, but was happy that she may have made potential friends already. Despite her anxiety, she too was a bit excited; this didn't have to be a negative experience but could indeed be a rather great one if she let it be so.

Finally making their way through the mob of students, they came to stop at a trail of large coaches pulled by…what _were_ they exactly? They looked to be like skeletal, reptilian horses with enormous, black rubbery wings. She had never seen such a creature before in her life. She stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of them, not because of fright but to observe them. When Harry found the new girl no longer beside him, he looked over his shoulder and spotted her. He walked over to her and saw she was staring fixedly at something.

"Cadee? What are you looking at?" As he said this, he followed her gaze and his eyes rested upon the creatures. Realization hit him after a few seconds like a ton of cauldrons and, with wide, unbelieving eyes, he whispered, "You can see them too?"

She gave a slow little nod and then asked "What _are_ they?"

"Well, they're called thestrals. Spooky looking creatures, they are. They've been pulling the coaches up to Hogwarts for a long time. Erm, I hope I'm not being rude by asking this, but er…who have you seen die?"

Tearing her eyes away from the thestral at last, she looked quizzically at Harry and said, "Excuse me?"

Harry began to explain. "You see, thestrals can only be seen by someone who has witnessed death. Since you are able to see them, you must've seen death before."

"That's strange…I-I don't think I've ever seen someone die." Again, that unsure look was fixed on her face. She became lost in her thoughts until Ron came sprinting up towards them. Panting slightly he said, "Oy! There you are! It's time to board the coaches." With a quick glance at Harry, Cadee followed Harry and Ron to a carriage. Before she got on, Cadee stole one last glimpse at the thestral attached to her coach.


End file.
